Application of solar energy in the oil industry—Current status and future prospects

Abstract

The scope of this review is to highlight the potential contributions of solar energy in meeting the energy requirements of the oil and gas industry. It includes an assessment of the key factors that impact the world energy scene and the anticipated role of solar energy up to 2035. It appears that oil and gas will continue to play a dominant role in meeting world energy demand over the next two decades, accounting for nearly 60% of total primary energy, and reaching around 9960Mtoe in 2035. The energy consumption of the oil and gas industries is nearly 10% of its total energy production and is expected to grow to a higher value with the growth of the share of unconventional oil and gas resources. The amounts of energy projected to be consumed by the oil and gas industry is estimated to be at least 39.4EJ by 2035. The energy supply to meet the demand of the oil and gas industry is based mostly on hydrocarbon energy sources, which leads to high levels of ecological footprints. Solar energy utilization within the industry will reduce its fossil fuels consumption, and therefore reduce its ecological footprints. Specifically, solar energy will help the industry in meeting part of its energy requirements in locations where conventional fuels, such as natural gas, are limited. This paper reviews various efforts made in developing solar technologies to suit the oil and gas industry. It also shows that some upstream oil and gas industries have already utilized solar energy in demonstration field applications. The review concludes that the application of solar energy in the oil and gas industry presents a very good opportunity for future business of the renewable energy industry. These opportunities includes the use of photovoltaic and solar thermal technologies.